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CITI’S CREDIT-ED® CHALLENGE INTEGRATED INTO FINANCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S LEBOW COLLEGE OF BUSINESS FRESHMEN

January 09, 2007

NEW YORK, NY (January 9, 2007) – For the first time since its launch in 2005, Citi's Credit-ED® Challenge, a free, interactive financial education workshop, is incorporated into a curriculum requirement for college freshmen of a major university. Starting this fall, faculty at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have had freshmen complete the Credit-ED Challenge as a part of the financial education component of the Drexel University Seminar course for LeBow College freshman students.

The Citi Credit-ED Challenge was first introduced to Drexel University students in the spring of 2006 as part of the Citi/EdVenture Partners program. The Citi/EdVenture Partners program provided students at LeBow College of Business the opportunity to design and implement an on-campus campaign to educate fellow Drexel students about the importance of fiscal responsibility. Through their campaign, the Citi/EdVenture Partners class motivated 578 students on-campus to take the Credit-ED Challenge and get Credit-ED Certified.

The Credit-ED Challenge was developed by Citi’s award-winning Credit-ED program to provide much-needed financial education to college campuses across the country. The Credit-ED Challenge is a free credit education workshop that takes students through four modules designed to test their financial knowledge. Developed to be administered as an on-campus workshop or online self-tutorial, each module features a video and activity to help students:

  • Look at spending habits and attitudes toward money
  • See how a budget helps in reaching financial goals
  • Learn the importance of a credit history
  • Understand the rewards and responsibilities of credit card use

“The integration of the Citi Credit-ED Challenge into Drexel’s freshman curriculum furthers our commitment to the Philadelphia community and to providing students with the tools they need for their financial education,” said Ed Garofalo, Executive Vice President, Citi Cards. “We are hopeful that LeBow College's decision to make credit education a part of the University Seminar Course will encourage additional colleges and universities to include the Credit-ED Challenge in their courses going forward.”

“We’re very excited to make the Citi Credit-ED Challenge a part of our freshman programs,” said Dr. George P. Tsetsekos, Dean of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. “By offering the Credit-ED Challenge, we help ensure that our freshman have learned some of the tools to make sound financial decisions during and beyond their college years.”

2/ CREDIT-ED CHALLENGE INTEGRATED INTO DREXEL’S FRESHMAN CURRICULUM

Students everywhere can also take the Credit-ED Challenge online at www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com. This tutorial features the same material, videos and activities taught in the Credit-ED Challenge workshop. After completing the Credit-ED Challenge, either via the workshop or online, students are encouraged to receive their Credit-ED Certification by passing the Credit-ED Challenge Certification quiz.

Since its inception in 2000, Citi’s Credit-ED Program, an ongoing and comprehensive credit education initiative for students, has distributed more than 1 million credit education materials for free to students, administrators and parents. To learn more about the fundamentals of money management for students, visit www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com.

In 2004, Citigroup and the Citigroup Foundation announced a 10-year, $200 million global financial education commitment, the formation of the Office of Financial Education and a global initiative designed to encourage its 300,000 employees around the world to devote time to support financial education and other charitable causes. Under the initiative, employees may take a day off from work to volunteer for non-profit organizations in their communities.



About Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business
Recognized by BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, Financial Times, Forbes/The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report for superior programs, Drexel University's LeBow College of Business empowers, enriches and inspires future business leaders through an innovative, strategic approach to business education defined by leadership and ethics, industry perspectives and technological orientation. LeBow College has more than 3,300 students, 100 faculty and 30,000 alumni and is accredited by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and executive education programs and six research centers. For additional information, visit www.lebow.drexel.edu

About Citi
Citi is a member of Citigroup (NYSE: C). Citigroup, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

Citigroup Financial Education Program
Based on the belief that knowledge is your greatest asset, the Citigroup Financial Education Program is a global, company-wide effort to identify, support and implement initiatives that help give individuals, families and communities the tools needed to make sound financial decisions. Citigroup's 10-year, $200 million global commitment is focused in three areas: Personal Financial Education, Small Business Financial Education, and Institutional Financial Education. Additional information about Citigroup's Financial Education Program, including Foundation guidelines, links and resources, including the Citigroup Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator's Guide may be found at: http://financialeducation.citigroup.com

Media Contacts:
Tami Gross, Kara Wheat
TMGpr Citigroup
212.750.5755

Samuel Wang
212.559.0499

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